Alfonso Mondragon Professor

Research Summary:

Our laboratory is focused on understanding the relationship between atomic structure and biological function of important proteins and nucleic acids. Traditionally most structural work has been focused on obtaining atomic pictures of molecules, but biological macromolecules are dynamic and understanding their function requires the convergence of many approaches to provide information from complementary perspectives at different time and length scales. To this end, we combine a variety of structural approaches with a wide range of biophysical and biochemical techniques to understand the workings of some of the most ubiquitous molecules in the cell.

Selected Publications:

Structure and function of the T-loop structural motif in noncoding RNAs. Chan CW, Chetnani B, and Mondragón A. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: RNA. 2013 September/October;4(5):507-522.

Structural biology: RNA exerts self-control. Chetnani B and Mondragón A. Nature. 2013 August 15;500(7462):279-280.

Structural Studies of RNase P. Mondragón A. Annual Review of Biophysics. 2013 May;42:537-557.

Identification of one of the apurinic/apyrimidinic lyase active sites of topoisomerase V by structural and functional studies. Rajan R, Prasad R, Taneja B, Wilson SH, and Mondragón A. Nucleic Acids Research. 2013 January 7;41(1):657-666.

Bacterial topoisomerase I and topoisomerase III relax supercoiled DNA via distinct pathways. Terekhova K, Gunn KH, Marko JF, and Mondragón A. Nucleic Acids Research. 2012 November;40(20):10432-104